Troy teen accused of killing father denied bail

TROY -- A Troy teen accused of murdering her father over the use of a credit card was denied bail.

On Wednesday morning, Rensselaer County Court Judge Andrew Ceresia listened to a bail application from an attorney representing Trinity Copeland, 17, the Troy High School student being held for allegedly shooting her father, Harlan Copeland, after a dispute over the use of one of his credit cards.

Despite pleas from defense attorney Matthew Smalls, Ceresia denied bail in the case and ordered Copeland back to jail.

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The case stems from the July 2012 shooting death of the elder Copeland in his home. Troy police responded to a 911 call from Trinity Copeland herself, arriving at the Copeland residence to find the elder Copeland lying dead on the couch with a single gunshot wound to the head.

The teen allegedly confessed to the shooting, stating she did it on the orders of her father, who threatened to kill her if she didn't shoot him.

Copeland faces the possibility of life imprisonment after a grand jury returned an indictment against her charging second-degree murder. She is currently being held at Rensselaer County Jail.